Battle Angel
by Shujinkakusama
Summary: AU. Anzu and Ryou are undercover angels, investigating demon activity at Domino High. They bite off more than they can chew. AU, angels, demons, half-serious magical girl parody. Season 10, Round 2. Hostshipping one


Hey again guys!

Absolute last second entry for the second round of the Yugioh Fanfiction Contest-be warned that I went more than a little overboard with this one. I tried to go out of my comfort zone in a lot of directions on this one, so I hope it isn't too out there. The ending's deliberately cliffhanger-y, partly because I could probably go another 5,000 words wrapping everything up, and partly because it stopped looking like a one shot. Please treat it like the pilot for a TV series-it's meant to be hook-y.

**Pairing:** Hostshipping, with some other-maybe side pairings if you squint.

**Prompt: **Yugioh Fanfiction Contest Season 10, Round 2

**Warnings**: Magical girl tropes, four demon generals trying to summon Zorc, and a very, very cranky "Battle Angel" Anzu, partnered with healer-mage Ryou. And a pompadour.

**Word Count:** 6,166

**Strange Moonspeak/Names:** Because I borrowed some terms from famous magical girl properties that people might not be familiar with…

_Shitennou_; Four Heavenly Kings. Localized for Pokémon as the Elite Four. They're the Dark Lord's generals here.

_Youma_; Bewitching Demons. Classic 'monsters of the day'. In this, they're not that different from Ka monsters, and gather Ba for their masters.

Thief King Bakura, Yami no Malik, and Yami no Bakura got new names for the sake of the story, because it's completely removed from canon. They're introduced accordingly, but for easy reference; _Dorobo _(Robber), _Jin_ (from Jinn), and _Hakkai _(Destruction_)_.

* * *

><p>"Three months going here with absolutely <em>nothing<em> we can report…" Anzu lamented, checking her wrist-comm for the third time in ten minutes. Maybe if she kept looking, there would be a message-any message, at this point-from home. "Every single lead we get goes to a dead end. _Literally_."

Ryou shrugged helplessly, absently swirling his drink. "It's better than dead _people_…" He knew that was a lame consolation, and it _felt_ that way even as he said it. The white-haired angel sighed, "Maybe Noa-kun's wrong. Maybe this isn't the right school. We haven't confirmed anything Youma-related in months. This town's been nothing but quiet since we got here. Or it's possible we're looking in the wrong places. Maybe it's _not_ the students."

His partner didn't look any happier, even if that was several steps up from Ryou's prior assertion; that her fixation on the Prince's recent engagement to Mai was dragging their case down. Anzu was still _distracted _by it, even if she'd deny ever having been 'fixated', but there was no denying now that the problem wasn't coming from her.

It didn't change the fact that there was an unfinished summoning circle in Domino Park. And it didn't fix the body count.

"It's got to be the students. We already covered the teachers… _Someone_ was trying to summon _something_, Ryou." Anzu all but slammed her empty cup on the table in frustration. She hated this. She hated being on Earth so long, with so _little_ to do. Solving puzzles had never been her strongest subject, and it was entirely possible that every second they wasted in South Domino would cost lives later on. "Our only non-comatose lead so far is _Nosaka_-san, and she's-"

"Creepy? Stalker-y? _Nuts_?" Ryou supplied helpfully, but he only smiled once Anzu's scowl faded. "She has as little idea of what's going on as we do. But you can go talk to her again if you _really_ want to, Anzu. Just leave me out. She gives me goose bumps."

"You're six thousand years old, and teenage girls scare you," Anzu rolled her eyes, sitting for the first time that morning. Ryou was privately relieved; her pacing had been making him dizzy since sunup. "Even though you've been partnered with one for _how long_? We're not going to be adults that soon, Ryou. They're basically our age."

Several thousand years of separation hardly counted as being the same age in Ryou's mind's eye, but he shook his head. Socially and developmentally, they weren't _that_ far off, and he wasn't entirely sure why that scared him even more. "You're apparently the only girl I can stand, Anzu. Besides, it's _different_. You don't tell the world that I'm too perfect to go to the bathroom."

"We're _angels_, Ryou. We don't."

"They don't know that, and that's not the _point_!" Ryou huffed, hiding his face in his hands. Maybe it was because he'd spent too long on Earth, trying to pass for a human boy, but there was something utterly mortifying about girls he barely knew speculating about what he did or didn't do, loudly enough for the rumor to actually spread through the school. "I've had _guys_ ask me about it. _Honda_-kun asked. Do you know how awkward that is? If you hadn't given him and Jyounouchi-kun brain damage with your-your _desk-fu_, they'd probably be following me into the bathroom to _check_."

"Did you just imply I'm not ladylike, Ryou?"

Ryou could almost hear Anzu's brain switching gears before she spoke, and he hesitated for a half second, before peeking out from behind one hand. He bit back the _wrong_ answer-that she _was_ a battle angel, and she'd always been boyish, and that really, lobbing desks at deserving high school students was more _barbaric_ than ladylike no matter how anyone looked at it. Ryou was many things; suicidal and eager for a pot of coffee to the lap had never been among them.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't much of a liar, either. He shook his head. "I like being alive and _not_ having to show up at school in my PE uniform," he said, pushing back from the table weakly. Now was as good a time as any to strategically retreat, after all. "We should go. Don't want to miss the first bell, you know?"

Anzu considered for a moment-that was as much a non-answer as a 'yes', and she didn't particularly like it-but nothing good would come from fighting. She sighed, reaching for her bag and checking the front pocket for her wand. Sure enough, it was there, dangling from her mobile and looking like an oversized charm. "Sure. Can't miss another totally boring day…"

* * *

><p>Before their deployment, the paired angels had skimmed as many files on the students of Domino High as they could; the head of the preliminary investigation department was thorough, down to the last man, and it had been easy to single out which students would be the easiest to gain information from. Seto had cautioned them that while the <em>students<em> had been easy to compile information on, the teachers weren't; the acting principal in particular, Pegasus Crawford, was born outside their department's jurisdiction, and communication with other divisions was only really for larger cases-_important_ cases; the kinds they sent _elite_ agents out on. Ryou hadn't had the heart to tell him that this could very easily turn _into_ an important case, and looking back, he was glad that he'd held his tongue.

He couldn't imagine the decorated White Dragon getting close to normal mortals, not with the impossible distance he kept with his own kind. And as he walked, practically sandwiched between two former thugs-one Hiroto Honda and one Katsuya Jyounouchi-he found it even _less_ likely that his superior would be able to put up with an environment like this.

"…You guys are awfully close," Ryou said uncomfortably, privately wishing that Anzu had the same PE period they did. Even if it made more sense to have separate schedules-even if it made it easier to survey more students-he didn't much like being away from his partner. Not that she needed to know that. "Did something happen?"

"You didn't hear?" Jyounouchi asked, raising an incredulous eyebrow. "The Gaav Gang's coming back today. You're the pretty type they go after. You know, Tendou, you should repay us! We're really looking out for you." He slid his arm around Ryou's shoulders dramatically as they turned a corner. "A portion of one of your delicious bentos would be a good start."

Despite himself, Ryou smiled a little. It wasn't the time for joking, but he couldn't deny that the blonde had a point. He hadn't actually tried eating any of the cafeteria food, but it didn't _look_ good. "I can make something for you guys tomorrow," he offered, glancing up at Honda, who was craning his head to look over their peers in the hall. There was no doubt; even if Jyounouchi was making light of it, Domino's most renowned gang returning to the school wasn't good news. "But I heard… they were expelled, weren't they?"

"They must've paid off the principal," Honda said sourly. "They _were_ expelled."

"It's a real drag, though," Jyounouchi complained, steering Ryou along with ease, into their classroom. "I miss eating on the roof already, but what're you gonna do? We can't beat them."

That last bit sounded more directed at Honda than anything, and Ryou slipped out from under his friend's arm to take his chair. They still had some time before the teacher made it, at least, and he turned back to them. He folded his arms over the back of his chair, resting his chin where they crossed. "I thought you were the toughest guys in school. Right, Honda-kun?"

"We _are_," Honda said, sinking into his chair diagonally across from the silver-haired angel. "But those bastards are monsters. After what they tried to do to Ribbon-chan…!"

Suppressing the urge to cringe at the mention of his least favorite person on campus, Ryou shook his head. He knew more details on that than he suspected either of his friends did, but couldn't be sure how much of that he was _supposed_ to know. He wished Anzu were having this conversation instead; she at least had the excuse of being friends with her. "Nosaka-san? They were the ones who put her in the hospital? But why would the principle let them come back after something like that?"

Better yet, why would the police release them after only three months?

Jyounouchi nodded. "I'm telling you, it's because they're in cahoots. All the more reason we can't take them out."

Glancing over, it was clear that Honda was even less happy about _that_ statement, and Ryou briefly wondered which was more damaging; that he couldn't protect the girl he liked, or that there were bigger, meaner thugs on campus, even if his friends had practically put that behind them. "It's okay, Honda-kun," he said warmly, "Anzu can probably keep Nosaka-san out of trouble. I'm sure everything will be okay."

* * *

><p>The view from Domino High's rooftop hadn't changed much in the three months since their last failed ritual, but Dorobo Kozou had missed it. He'd missed lounging against the fence for a cigarette with the breeze going through his hair, obscuring his view of potential targets as they jogged around the PE track in deliciously short bloomers-<p>

The biggest change had been in him, he thought, casually combing back his recently acquired (but absolutely _fabulous_) pompadour. It was appropriately regal; something the once-renowned King of Thieves could wear proudly, even among these unworthy mortals. Not that they deserved his splendor.

"We missed this," he decided, carefully combing back his pompadour. "All these ripe young things."

"Shame prison didn't change you for the better."

Dorobo turned, flicking his cigarette away carelessly. A broad grin lit his dangerous features. "Hakkai! Jin!" he exclaimed, positively thrilled to see his fellow generals. "So good to see you again, brothers. We missed you, too."

Jin matched his toothy smile, but Hakkai didn't. The white-haired youth scowled deeply. "_We_?" he all but snarled, "Did you lose what was _left _of your mind in there?"

Dorobo's laughter might have been warm and genuine in another lifetime, if he had ever been human enough to really understand humor, but now it was empty, even as it rang out loud and long. "We! It's for Our royal hair style, you know," he replied, ever merry in his madness.

A muscle not far from Hakkai's left eye took that as its cue to spasm violently, and the Northern General rubbed at his face angrily. If there were anything in the world he hated more than working with the King of Thieves, he couldn't place it, right now.

"Congratulations, Señor Pompadour. You broke him," Jin said dryly, not bothering to look back at them. His wild lilac eyes were focused on the students below, watching their run with an entirely different sort of interest than his superior. "You can't talk, you know. With your horns showing."

"Be silent," Hakkai snapped, stepping past them both. Jin's hair fanned out in all directions of its own accord; he had even _less_ room to talk about radical hairdos. "We aren't up here for a _tea party_."

Dorobo pulled a deliberately disappointed face, but returned to fussing with his hair. "We want to finish the job," he said lightly, "The little sacrifice We missed is still here. Right now, in fact. We could finish her."

Jin looked equally pleased by the suggestion. "We may even be able to collect enough Ba, Hakkai," he purred, "If we took _all_ of them, right now. Heaven would be too late. They'd find nothing but corpses."

That was an appealing possibility. The alternative-months of waiting, luring individual humans to slaughter, harvesting weak Youma with pathetically weak abilities-was unbearable. Not with these two idiots for his cohorts.

Pegasus wasn't any better, really. Hakkai hated working alongside him, but hated even _more_ that he needed to work _beneath_ him for this mission. Physical age be damned, if he needed to play along with being sent to the principle's office one more time-

"You took too long!" Jin practically cheered, gripping the fence tightly enough for the rough bits of metal to cut into his fingers. "I've already started…"

Four stories below, the screaming began.

* * *

><p>Upon reflection, 'be careful what you wish for' was probably a wiser saying than Anzu had ever really bothered to think about. Then again, she hadn't really had an offhanded wish for excitement blowing up in her face in recent memory. All she knew, really, was that one moment, she was rounding the bleachers, deliberately keeping pace with Miho, well behind their classmates; the next, a ripple of pressure had knocked her off her feet, cold and familiar.<p>

Black magic had a sticky, sweet taste, and Anzu suspected that if it had a _smell_, it would be nauseating. It was disorienting. It brought with it a hazy feeling that made it hard to focus; made it harder to get her bearings, especially without her wings to nullify it.

There was no mistaking it, and even while the world spun, Anzu shoved herself upright, scanning the area for the source. She couldn't help cursing inwardly. Of all the times for a monster to appear, it would be when her wand wasn't on her.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the Youma; twisted and blue, with an angular face fixed below the ribcage, with six bony arms thicker than her legs. Its sunken eyes glowed gold-as did its heart, barely protected by a second set of ribs higher up; but reaching over that set of shoulders was a pair of shining fangs that moved independently of the arms, in desperate, jerking motions. The beast was disoriented; it bucked and thrashed, alternating between standing upright, and clawing at the ground with its extra hands, trying to find purchase.

The summoner had to be close by, she realized, but the other students' safety had to come first.

"Anzu-chan!" Miho wailed, scrambling up and clutching her friend's arm. "Anzu-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Anzu lied, pushing back her own dread as she stood. "Miho, listen to me-okay? We're going to run. As fast as we can. And as soon as you get to the school, I want you to get somewhere safe. And hide. And don't come back out until everything's safe."

Her friend looked startled, wide-eyed and pale, and gripped her elbow tightly. "You too. You'll hide with Miho, right?"

Anzu didn't answer, pulling her arm away to take the other girl's hand. "Keep up with me," she said firmly, casting a quick glance toward the monster. Its back was facing them now, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

"Anzu-chan-"

"_Run_!"

She took off without giving the girl a chance to protest, cutting across the field in a wild sprint, pulling her along behind her. Miho tried doggedly to keep up, and although Anzu knew that she wouldn't be able to match her pace for long, she knew she'd have time to recover once she was out of harm's way.

Her wrist-comm beeped shrilly, and the angel swore under her breath, swerving around the piled step-hurdles as the Youma spun, looking for the source of the offending sound.

Miho screamed, nearly stumbling behind her. "It's the monster again!" she cried breathlessly, "It's after Miho!"

Anzu didn't doubt that, and she skidded to a stop, carefully angling herself in front of the other girl. "_Go_, Miho," she hissed, giving her a none-too-gentle shove toward the building. "Get inside, and _don't come back out for anything_."

"Anzu-chan, what about-"

"I'll be fine! You get everyone _away_ from it," Anzu said, pressing a button on her watch; the beeping stopped. There wasn't going to be time to call for backup. "Just sit tight and pray for a miracle."

Her friend looked unsatisfied, but whatever protest she meant to mount was drowned out as the beast roared, scrambling around to see the two girls. It reared up, trying to get a better look at its potential prey, and Miho yelped, dashing out of its line of sight.

'_I hope Ryou knows this thing's here_…' Anzu thought desperately, edging left, toward the field. She wouldn't have much chance against it if it got too close, not like this, but if she could hit that heart-

The beast surged forward, and she had to dive out of the way, rolling into a summersault and back to her feet. Of course. It was just her luck that it would be fast on top of ugly.

"You missed!" Anzu taunted, ducking low to grab something-anything-off of the ground. Her hand closed around a loose hunk of pavement, and she pulled. It wouldn't be enough, but it was a start.

The Youma charged again, and she flung the stone inexpertly, grazing its ribcage. The skin peeled away too easily; like it'd been pulled from an overripe plum, and she smiled. That was a boon. If she could find something sharp enough, she might be able to hold out without transforming after all.

She turned, launching into a series of flips down the field, as much to limber up as to keep an eye on the monster as she put distance between it and the school building. "Come get me! Come on!"

To her horror, it did.

In an instant, the Youma lunged wildly with a scream that chilled her to the very bone, caught her ankle with its second set of hands and dragged her down underneath its plastron. That feeling of sticky sickness was back upon her, even before she'd caught her breath, and she found herself almost nose-to-nose with its face.

Anzu screamed, reflexively kicking out with her free leg and clawing upward with the opposite hand. The beast roared back, but reeled away as her fingers raked one of its eyes, and she barely managed to roll out of the way as its chelicerae jabbed the ground where she'd been an instant before.

"_Anzu_!"

She looked up at the sound of her name and reached out, catching Ryou's extended hand as he flew low to the ground. He grunted, but pulled, veering up once he was sure his grip wouldn't slip, and Anzu managed a final kick to the beast's shoulder as they spiraled up and away.

"You _had_ to wish something'd happen, didn't you?" Ryou said breathlessly, "I think I liked it better-"

"Not the roof, Ryou! The enemy's up there!" Anzu cut him off, pointing with her free hand. "You've got to get me to the classroom, I need my wand-"

Despite himself, Ryou smiled, arcing away. "I'm ahead of you," he said, "We just need to land so you can change, right? Pick somewhere."

The closest and safest place they could land was the pool shed, and Anzu let Ryou drop her down. She caught her wand as she landed, and Ryou extended his wings to give her privacy.

"I tried to call home," Ryou said uneasily, "The White Dragons are already on a mission in China. The Prince isn't back yet, and Malik's still out of commission."

"Of course he is…" Anzu mumbled, tossing her shirt aside and crouching down to let her wings flare out behind her. She wasn't going to think about where the Prince must have been. Not now. She could mourn her lost chance at love another time. Her wings rippled, gold-tipped and warm, and she immediately felt clean again, even covered in dirt and sweat. "I've got this. Don't worry. You should help the students."

Ryou frowned deeply, turning to face her. "Anzu, you're not fighting them alone," he said, deliberately keeping his gaze no lower than her shoulders as she adjusted her halter-bra. Not that he'd never seen what was under it. But it wasn't the time to be thinking about that. "I can give you cover, even if I can't fight much-"

"You're not supposed to fight at _all_, Ryou," Anzu insisted, rolling her shoulders. Her wings weren't heavy; they felt more like magic than flesh, but it had been so long since she'd needed them that she almost wasn't sure she could use them. "I'll be _fine_, I can use magic now. That Youma'll be cake."

Her partner didn't look convinced, but he couldn't argue. Not when Anzu would probably need his help. "I'll keep an eye out for the summoner," he offered, reaching for her hand. "Just… be careful. Okay? Don't get hurt."

"I won't," Anzu flashed a smile, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "C'mon, let's go. After this, we can finally go home."

* * *

><p>Things weren't going according to plan.<p>

"You _imbeciles,_" Hakkai hissed, gesturing toward the angels below as they returned. "Heaven is _here_! You unbelievable _idiots_, we can't possibly summon Lord Zorc under their noses!"

Dorobo looked contrite, or at least _tried_ to. Jin couldn't help grinning crookedly from ear to ear. "Why not kill them?" he offered, "They've got to have enough Ba to be worth a dozen humans each. We're too close to give up _now_, isn't that right, Thief King?"

The bigger male frowned a little, reaching up to stroke his pompadour thoughtfully. "Can We even revive the Dark Lord with holy Ba…?"

"Of course not! Are you _insane_?"

"You know, Bakura-boy, I always thought that went without saying."

For the first time in several thousand years, Hakkai felt his _right_ eye spasm instead, and he turned toward the dreamy voice behind him. "Pegasus," he snarled, "What have you been _doing_ while we were in jail? You must have drawn their attention! Bastard!"

The older demon tutted disapprovingly, shaking his head. "Bakura-boy, you always think the worst of me. Stop that. I'm not the one summoning monsters in broad daylight."

Hakkai turned away, none too pleased that he was right about that. Jin scoffed. "If we can't use them, we'll kill them," he said flippantly, "Rip out their wings. What does it matter? More of Heaven would be here if they were sending more, right?"

"Two angels aren't a match for Us. We could take them easily," Dorobo said. Hakkai pinched the bridge of his nose. While that might have been true once upon a time, there was no telling how powerful the angels were-not while Zorc was still sealed away on the other side. He opened his mouth to protest, and Pegasus laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Why, you're absolutely right," Pegasus practically cheered, "You and Jin-boy should be more than enough for them. We'll deliver the Ba we already have to the Dark Lord, and wait for you back home. Do try not to destroy my school, though."

"But-"

"No buts! Bakura-boy, come along. We don't want to get in their way."

"You can count on Us!" Dorobo's grin was wide and dangerous, and he looked down at his impromptu partner. "Jin, let Us take the girl, mm? You know We prefer women…"

Hakkai tuned their discussion out as Pegasus took his shoulders and steered him back into the building. "You're letting those fools jeopardize the entire mission," he hissed, wrenching away from Pegasus and taking the stairs two at a time. He couldn't believe any of this. "If they die now-"

Pegasus, ever smiling, ignored the warning tone in his underling's voice. "The Dark Lord has no use for fools, Bakura-boy," he said smoothly, "If they die, they die. We don't _need_ them. All the more glory for you and me."

Hakkai liked the sound of that, though he knew better than to trust anything coming from Pegasus. Still, to be rid of Dorobo and Jin… it was a tempting risk to take. The white-haired demon smiled. After all, if they succeeded, there was no reason to get involved in an unnecessary battle. "I can live with that."

* * *

><p>The Youma was easily dispatched, and for that, Ryou was immensely thankful. Anzu had always been excellent in battle; they had never quite made it to the top of their classes, but on her own, she was a force to be reckoned with. With the aid of her magic, she defeated and purified their former-PE coach so quickly that he almost felt foolish for worrying. That was his Anzu, all right.<p>

He had always felt responsible for holding her back, somehow. With his constant worries and nagging. Maybe he _wasn't_ the best partner for her, as much as he would have liked to be.

"Distracted, dove?"

Ryou felt his stomach clench in fear, even before he rounded on the voice behind him. His breath caught as the stench of blood washed over him, and somewhere, deep down, he cursed himself for not paying attention.

Barely a wingbeat away, hovering just above his eye-level, was a demon Ryou had only ever heard about in stories. From his icy purple eyes, dark skin, and wild mane of blonde hair, down to the tattered, scar-littered wings, there was no mistaking Zorc's fourth general.

This was out of their league.

"You're the Eastern War Jinn," he said slowly, feeling color drain from his face. "One of Zorc's Shitennou."

Jin's face all but split into a dark, terrible smile, and Ryou tried not to tremble. "Good. You know me… I want to know you," the general said, raising one hand in warning. Ryou could see power crackling around it and instinctively glanced down, praying desperately that Anzu wasn't similarly occupied. He didn't see her, but that didn't bode well. Jin laughed. "She won't have the chance to save you. It's time to worry about yourself."

Ryou didn't like the sound of that one bit-even less, he didn't like how _right_ that sounded. "You're not alone, are you?" he asked, desperately hoping to stall. Not that anyone was coming.

If the demon general could tell what he was doing, he seemed not to care. "I have a comrade with me," he snickered, and Ryou didn't see the humor in it. "Señor Pompadour will probably let her live longer than you'll get to. Poor, abandoned dove… But I'll give you a head start."

Ryou didn't have time to consider other options. If all he could do, for now, was offer a distraction while Anzu dealt with whoever Jin had left her to, that was better than sticking around and leaving Jin's ally with a backup in case Anzu got the upper hand.

With one last desperate glance downward, Ryou took off, flying toward cloud cover. If he could wear Jin out, somehow, with this stupid cat and mouse game, it would give Anzu a better chance.

He hoped.

* * *

><p>A fight with one of the famed Shitennou was <em>not<em> what Anzu had expected.

The Youma had been easy enough; _weak_ enough that she had been willing bet that a low-level demon was responsible for releasing it. There were enough magical amulets left from the Thousand Year War that even _humans_ could probably manage a simple Ka summoning if they had their hands on one.

Zorc's fabled Four Generals were well out of her league.

Similarly, she hadn't expected to find herself pinned to a wall only seconds into the fight, with her feet well off the ground, face-to-face with a man that reeked so heavily of garlic that she almost couldn't smell his magic.

The King of Thieves looked infinitely pleased. This was _definitely_ worth risking the mission, no matter what Hakkai and Pegasus seemed to think.

"Tell Us, little angel…" Dorobo practically purred, and if it wouldn't risk mussing his perfectly groomed hair, he likely would have leaned in to be nose-to-nose with his prey. "Did you hurt yourself when you fell from Heaven to see Us?"

Anzu stared, jaw slack, and tried to jerk her shoulder out of his grip. His big hand only gripped tighter, and she didn't gain so little as an inch. "Are you for real?" she snapped, "People don't _actually say _things like that!"

"We just did," he said, frowning almost comically. "Why does everyone tell Us that?"

"You're acting like a total goof!"

Dorobo shrugged, apparently unfazed. Goof was scores milder than most of the things the other generals called him. Particularly Hakkai. "Life's too short to stay serious, little angel."

Anzu felt her cheeks warm with anger. "I'm not here to play games!"

The demon general's carefree air all but visibly melted away then, and Anzu swallowed hard. "But We like games," he said, voice low and dangerous. "You won't survive if We're not playing."

"What a shitty thing to say to a girl!" Jyounouchi exclaimed loudly.

"You Gaavs are unbelievable!"

Dorobo turned just in time to take Honda's sneaker square between the eyes.

It was just the distraction Anzu needed. She twisted, gathering a meager fistful of magic in her free hand, and firing it directly under the demon's chin.

The combined distraction did its job; Dorobo stumbled back, coughing and spluttering, and Anzu pushed away from the wall, diving past him with her wings folded close to her body. "Get back inside! Hurry!"

Jyounouchi grinned broadly. "No way, Anzu. You don't get all the fun."

"Did you miss the _massive wings sticking out of his back_?" she hissed, "Normal people can't get involved, so get _out_ of here!"

"Tendou gave us a heads up," Honda said easily, "And cast some… I don't know what, some spell or something. We'll be _fine_. We're just backup."

The girl deflated only slightly, but turned back toward the enemy. "I don't have the healing magic he does," she warned them, rubbing her hands together as star-white sparks crackled around her fists. Dorobo's hacking fit had passed, and he was rapidly reorienting himself. "But I can do this…!"

She met the King of Thieves before he could extend his hand, and the air around them crackled angrily with electricity; the demon howled, swinging wildly with his free arm, but Anzu was already mid-swing for her second attack. She kneed him hard, aiming again for the throat.

Her opposite foot ground down into his groin as he went down a second time.

"…Damn, Anzu," Jyounouchi whistled low, eyes wide. "I didn't think…"

"He's not down for good, Jyounouchi," Anzu said, breathing a little more heavily than she meant to. Two fights in a row were two more than she was used to in a day. "I need-"

"A lunch table?" Honda offered hopefully, nodding toward the nearest. "Desks are your specialty, right?"

She didn't have time to protest that assertion. "I swear, if you think this is a 'thing'…" Anzu mumbled, pushing past the both of them to lift the table. It took a considerable amount of effort-thick metal bars and plastic-coated metal seats weren't intended for easy-moving-but she could make up the difference in strength with magic.

And really, Honda was right; desks were her specialty.

Dorobo didn't stand a chance against an electric-charged table hurled full-force. But then, neither did the gym wall behind him.

The angel heaved a sigh, dusting off her hands. "I think he's down for now," she said, earning a slow clap from the boys behind her. She turned, frowning deeply. "Now where is-"

"Amazing! I didn't think a little finch like you could do that," a voice crooned from above, and Anzu dashed out to look in time for a bloodied mess of wings and feathers to hit the ground at her feet with a sickening groan. Her blood ran cold, adversary forgotten.

Her partner had never looked worse for wear.

"Ryou…!" Anzu dropped to her knees, carefully, but insistently, untangling him from the protective ball he was trying to stay curled up into. "Ryou, it's me, let me look, come on, damn it…!"

At least he was breathing; his wings were twisted, red with blood, but very little else looked particularly worse for wear. His torso was solidly bruised, black and purple under streaked blood that didn't seem to be coming from anywhere but his wings. That wasn't much consolation-and Anzu couldn't quell the panicked feeling that threatened to choke her breath away. Honda and Jyounouchi were barely a step behind her, and the brunette dropped down to find his pulse, then leaned forward to listen to his breathing.

"He sounds…" '_Like he's not drowning in his own blood,_' wasn't the right thing to tell a girl, Honda realized, pushing back to let Anzu close back in. "He sounds like he needs an ambulance, but good beyond that."

Above them, Jin circled almost lazily, licking mixed blood from his hands. The angel had a surprising amount of fight in him, but prey would always be prey. "He was such _fun_ to play with, you know," the demon jeered, "I didn't want to finish him. Not without some witnesses."

"Like it'll be that easy!" Jyounouchi shot back, "Why don't you get down here, I'll show you who's fun to play with!"

"Jyounouchi, you're goading the devil!" Honda hissed warningly, "I don't think this is what Tendou had in mind."

"Guys," Ryou groaned, forcing his eyes open despite the feeling of lead weighing down his eyelids. "Don't…"

Anzu gripped his hand tightly, ignoring the blood that didn't belong on Ryou's hand, leaning too close to his face. "Stay with me," she pleaded, pushing back his matted bangs. He looked exhausted-too exhausted-and the girl found herself blinking hard against tears that she knew there weren't time for. "Ryou, it's okay, it'll be okay. I'm here."

Her partner smiled tiredly, but when he tried to squeeze back, he didn't have much strength in it. "I think right now, Kaiba-san might be better… don't want you fighting that monster," he murmured, swallowing harder than he wanted to. "Right now… the smart thing'd be to run."

"Tell them how well it worked," Jin crooned eagerly. "I'd like to hear your version."

"Do you shut up? Asshole!"

"Shut _up, _worthless human. You won't even be fun," the general snarled, "If I can't take your Ba directly, I'll take from the other ants here and finish the job. _After_ her."

"We're _really_ in over our heads…" Ryou said quietly, "I couldn't hold him. I'm sorry, Anzu. I held you back."

"Don't be dumb," Anzu argued, "Ryou, don't talk like that. We're going home. I'll take care of him. You just hang in." The white-haired angel shook his head slowly, but protesting took energy he didn't have to spare. She turned his hand, pressing his palm to the swell of her breast, just over her heart. "_Promise me_, Ryou. Right now."

"…Is that your _boob_, Anzu?"

"Do you want me to put you out of your misery instead?" Anzu asked, feeling color rush into her cheeks. Still, she didn't pull his hand away. "I just want a promise, Ryou. I can't fight without you. I'm not coming back if you're not waiting for me."

Ryou's pale face smiled up at her. "Hey… sounds like something in one of those girls' comics. People'll get ideas."

Honda leaned in, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "I uh… hate to interrupt. But if you're going to do any fighting, Anzu, now might be the time… you guys can work out your relationship after. That crazy bastard looks furious."

The angels looked startled, however slightly, and Ryou gave her an awkward pat that might've been reassuring anywhere else on her body. "I won't go anywhere," he assured her, managing a smile. "I'll bleed on Honda a while and cheer you on."

Jin was not happy to be kept waiting. As little as he cared for Dorobo personally, he was at least aware their limitations were similar. He could make up for what he lacked in physical strength with black magic, but holy magic had an advantage in daylight-something he couldn't make up for in the early morning.

So the angel had the advantage, even if her two earlier fights were strikes against her. At a glance, he couldn't tell how worn down she was. He'd hoped that removing the threat of the healer would be enough, but…

He wondered if that were the real reason Pegasus had opted to retreat, but pushed the notion aside. Pegasus was older, but it hardly made him _wiser_. He had no way of knowing what fledgling angels were capable of. "This is boring, finch!" he growled, "Are you going to keep me waiting, or do I need to rip apart your other friends, too?"

Anzu stood slowly, turning her head only marginally. Her wings glinted in the midday sun. "Do you want to dance?" she challenged, gripping her key for the luck she knew she'd need. Jin's answer didn't interest her, though, and she took to the air. "You'd better get ready, or I'll really cause some trouble!"


End file.
